Washington, D.C., November 6, 2009 – Voice of America (VOA) correspondent Steve Herman was recognized by the Association for International Broadcasting (AIB) for his coverage of Sri Lanka’s civil war.

Herman’s reporting was called "highly commended" in the radio category of "clearest coverage of a single news event." The award was presented Wednesday at the AIB’s annual International Media Excellence Awards event in London.

"Steve Herman's series of reports captured the drama of this critical time in South Asian history as it unfolded. We are all proud of Steve," said VOA Executive Editor Steve Redisch.

The AIB is the industry association and global knowledge network for the international broadcasting industry. More than 200 entries were submitted for judging. Winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges comprised of leading members of the international broadcasting community.

The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts approximately 1,500 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 125 million people. Programs are produced in 45 languages.